It wasn’t flashy, but it didn’t have to be as the Barrie Colts took care of business Wednesday night in Owen Sound.
Backed by both a strong defensive effort and the play of their specialty teams, the Colts extended their win streak to three games with a 3-2 win over the host Attack at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
Kashawn Aitcheson had a power-play goal and assist and Grayson Tiller, shorthanded, Daly Wakely, on the power play, also scored for Barrie (27-14-1-1), which moved into first place atop both the Eastern Conference and Central Division standings.
“It’s a tough building to play in. There’s not a lot of ice out there,” said Colts’ general manager and head coach Marty Williamson, whose club dropped a 5-2 decision here two weeks ago. “I thought our guys played very well defensively. We didn’t give up too many chances and we took care of business.
“Nice to see a couple of power-play goals go in. Different things each night get us wins and that’s a good sign for a team.”
Barrie goaltender Ben Hrebik stopped 24 of 26 shots and while most were from the outside, none was bigger than the last one he faced when he stoned Landen Hookey in close in the dying seconds of the game.
“We’re not giving up too much, but it seems when we do give up (a good chance), Hrebik has been outstanding for us with those kinds of saves,” said Williamson. “Sometimes those are tough games to play.
I watched (Sam Hillebrandt) the other night, he had five shots into the second and then he made (18 of 19) saves, so it just shows the focus of both our goalies. They save games for us even when they’re not getting a lot of work.”
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After struggling with turnovers during a five-game losing streak, the Colts have returned to their stifling defensive play with just four goals against over their last three wins.
“I thought everybody was playing pretty steady,” said Colts’ defenceman Justin Handsor. “Everybody was going.”
“It was huge for the team,” Handsor added of the win. “Now we finally got a little streak going. We’re getting in our groove.”
Specialty teams were also a key factor in Barrie’s win on Wednesday night.
Tiller opened the scoring a little more than four minutes in on a seeing-eye drive from the point that beat Attack goalie Carter George. It was Barrie’s ninth shorthanded goal of the season, tying them with the Erie Otters and Sudbury Wolves for the league-best.
David Bedkowski tied the contest early in the second for the Attack (13-25-2-3), but power-play goals by Aitcheson and Wakely six minutes apart in the same frame was all the offence the Colts would need.
“Nice to get the three specialty teams markers and that was kind of the difference,” said Williamson. “That and our defensive game tonight was on point. It was pretty solid.”
A power-play marker by Pierce Mbuyi late in the second cut the lead to 3-2, but Hrebik stopped all 10 shots he faced in the third period to earn his 14th win of the season.
“They just work really hard, and they make sure to give us a run for our money every time,” Handsor said of a young Attack team that while mired near the bottom of the Western Conference standings has been playing much better hockey of late.
The Colts return home to host the Brampton Steelheads on Thursday night. The Steelheads, who came into the season as the favourites to win an OHL title, are beginning to turn things around after a disappointing first half of the season and have points in each of their last six games.
“It’s an advantage for Brampton. We’re not going to get home until late,” Williamson said of playing back-to-back while their division rivals will be well rested. “We got the two points and that’s a big thing. Now we got to get focused on Brampton back-to-back and they’re coming in rested.
“I think it will be a heck of a game. This is one of the teams that we think will be standing at the end and they’ve got all their firepower back. They went through an injury spell, and they got everybody back.”
Game time Thursday night at Sadlon Arena is 7 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: Handsor, who has just about played a regular role on the point this season due to injuries and Akey away at worlds, filled in for Gabriel Eliasson (illness), who missed his third game. “We were walking off the ice and the compliment was that we really didn’t notice him too much,” Williamson said of the steady play of Handsor. “He did a really good job for us. We needed him. Gabe has been pretty sick and we’re hoping he gets through practice maybe on Friday and it gets him a shot this weekend, but we don’t seem to have missed a beat. Our core blueline is playing really well with whatever six we dress.” . . . Akey recorded two assists and now has three points in his last three games. . . Aitcheson had another big game, which along with his goal and assists included a massive clean hit at centre ice on Tristan Delisle and a fight that followed where he throttled Masen Wray handily. . . Barrie outshot Owen Sound 32-26. . . The Colts finished 2-for-4 on the power play, while Owen Sound was 1-for-4. . . Barrie dominated faceoffs, with an advantage of 36 to 20 edge.
